Bluetommy
Danyel
Ookawa
Musoka
Simple Unicycle
Plank SinatraAbillioncats will receive two credits for participating in the Secret Gift! (Thanks for the gift by the way! I really like it xD)
I also technically have a Secret Gift for BASL but I'm not sure if I should give myself credits in my own contest so I won't say anything on that. >.>
By: @Abillioncats
To: @NarayanK
Description by Author: Sangue finds Emerald sleeping on a park bench and Christmas shenanigans happen!
By: NarayanK
To: @Plank Sinatra@Kaithas@Krayzikk
The swordswoman known as Sangue Naga stared at the pale skies as the snow fell like feathers behind the window. Whatever she had been thinking about faded as she watched the world above, observing the sign of a season different from summer, spring, and fall.
If there were things she had to owe to others, she’d have too many. Life gave her miracles one would normally never encounter so often. Whether it was a gift of pity from fate or pure luck, she did not know, but it let her find more meaning in herself.
There were things to live for. Food brought delight to her sensitive tongue, exercise brought adrenaline to her veins, and meditation let her reflect upon anything valuable she learned for the day.
There were also people to live for. People who made her more valuable than she would have been had she survived on her own.
Not that she would survive for long on her own.
In a sense, she was a bit of a mistletoe. Her team could always use someone intelligible to contribute to their overall effectiveness. She latched onto them without really bringing useful benefits to them. Such analogies made her continue to change, little by little.
So every day, she tried changing. That was the most she could do without risking too much.
She wore a jacket Lauren got for her. With a small handful of mistletoe leaves remaining snuggled in her pocket, she looked back at her closest friends, all three of them sleeping on. Being a part of their frantically active lifestyles made their sleeping forms a common sight to wake up to.
Her eyes trailed over to a few couples walking with their arms linked together outside the academy before looking back at the skies.
She silently left her bed.
With a mistletoe in hand, she walked over to Lauren and Amy. Lauren had invaded Amy’s bunk during the middle of the night, letting her body overlap the Faunus who practically buried herself under her blankets. It was easy to presume that Amy decided to shut herself out from the energetic Negasi… and judging by how the two snored without conflict, things had gone somewhat accordingly.
Sangue let a small smile form, betraying her once idle expression. With the mistletoe in hand, she gave a peck to both of their cheeks.
She had seen it in a lot of movies before, so she presumed that was the correct way to give a kiss.
Walking over to Ben, who held onto his blankets for dear warmth in his sleep, Sangue glanced at the two girls she treasured as her family. Unbeknownst to her, however, one of the Christmas socks she received from someone sat in her path.
It happened too quickly for her to gasp. Without a word, she slipped and fell forward.
Her hands barely caught the mattress as she shut her eyes. When everything became still again, she slowly opened her eyes.
Thankfully, she had managed to stop herself an inch away from his face. As her eyes locked their gaze to her team leader’s face, she blinked, her expression softening.
There were many presents Sangue treasured. From the gifts she received from others at Beacon, to the experiences she was able to feel firsthand thanks to others. But truthfully, the most valuable presents she had received were those who gave her such gifts themselves.
BASL was perhaps the gift that brought her the most hope in her rather small life.
After staring at her leader for a few minutes, she blinked when she remembered that she had a gift to give to him. The gift she gave them was a far cry from what they would give her, but she hoped that one day, she would become someone who wasn’t just “a quiet person” to them.
She simply wished for them to remember her. And for her to wish that much, she knew she would have to grow accordingly to not bring them down as a team.
A faint blush entered her cheeks as she leaned over to Ben. Under the mistletoe and the pale, snowy skies, a young snake wished for its friends to live happily. But truthfully, it was a rather selfish wish.
She hoped that its selfish factor did not overshadow their genuine value to her.
As dawn passed, the snake slithered back to her bed, knowing that another normal day would start soon. Another day as a member of BASL, a team she hoped to never leave.
I also technically have a Secret Gift for BASL but I'm not sure if I should give myself credits in my own contest so I won't say anything on that. >.>
(Abillioncats) Secret Gift
By: @Abillioncats
To: @NarayanK
Description by Author: Sangue finds Emerald sleeping on a park bench and Christmas shenanigans happen!
Poke poke nudge nudge. Emerald groaned and tried to swat away whatever was attacking her side as her eyes opened slightly. She felt a cold, chilly breeze and her eyes widened in alarm as she realized she was not in her room at all! She shot up very suddenly, finding herself in fact somewhere in Vale, on a park bench in the cold, though thankfully she was bundled up in quite a few layers.
She turned to see who was to blame for waking her open, and it was none other than…Sangue!?
“Hello…Emerald…” The red head said slowly, as she usually did. Emerald didn’t mind how Sangue talked but for someone as hyperactive as the cat faunus it could feel like an eternity. “…I found you here…had to make sure you weren’t…” She paused, searching for the right words most likely.
“…dead?” Emerald finished for her. “Well no I’m not dead…obviously hehe…” Emerald stuck her tongue out for a moment.
“What were you…doing out in the cold?” Sangue asked, looking concerned.
“Well I was Christmas shopping, and was getting tired and decided to sit on this nice bench here and I guess I must of fallen asleep!” She bonked herself on the head before checking the time. “Oh wow! I’ve been sleeping here for hours! No wonder my nose is cold!”
Sangue eyes widened just a little as she sat down next to Emerald and proceeded to start rubbing her nose with a gloved hand, surprising the catgirl.
“Um…um Sangue…you don’t have to do that….I-I’m…I’m fin-ACHOO!” Emerald let out a sudden and loud sneeze, making Sangue seem even more concerned than before.
“You’ve…caught a…cold.” Sangue said as she took off a glove to feel Emerald’s forehead.
Emerald meanwhile was getting red in the face. “N-No…I feel…ACHOO! I feel fine I just…ACHOO!” Emerald stopped talking for a moment, she was losing an argument without the other person even saying anything. “Okay fine…maybe I’m a little sick…ACHOO!”
“You should…go home and get some…rest…” Sangue said in a voice that was almost stern, if anyone could imagine Sangue being stern in any situation.
“No I can’t! I still have to buy a present for someone!” Emerald said, fidgeting before sneezing again. “Just one more present to buy and then I’ll go rest I promise!”
Sangue was quite for a moment, at least more quiet than usual. She looked like she was thinking really hard, debating on what to do about this. Finally, her eyes lit up. “Okay…I’ll go with you…to get your gift.” Sangue decided that it would be fine if she was there to make sure nothing happened to Emerald, it was only one gift, then Emerald could get the rest she needed.
Even Sangue treats me like a kid! It’s cause I’m the shortest isn’t it!? Emerald complained mentally, but she put a smile on her face for Sangue, she didn’t mind the company anyway. “Okay! It’s not too far, actually I can see it, right over that way!” Emerald pointed wildly at a nearby clothing store, but was interrupted by another sneezing fit. This caused Sangue to scramble for a tissue paper to give to the cat faunus.
“Let’s goooo!” Emerald started running off, with Sangue scrambling to follow the energetic girl. They were making good headway when Emerald stopped abruptly, causing Sangue to almost crash into the other girl. Emerald was standing right in front of a noodle shop, they could both smell the deliciousness.
“Hey Sangue…you wanna stop here for some….” To Emerald’s surprise Sangue was already walking inside the restaurant, she quickly followed her in.
About five minutes later they exited the shop with cups of noodle soup in their hands. They slowly walked down the street, feeling fuller and warmer than before. Emerald didn’t seem to be sneezing quite as much but she still had the sniffles, Sangue noted. She just had to make sure Emerald survived buying her gift and everything would be fine.
Emerald meanwhile was having her own dilemma. When she had agreed to let Sangue come along she had forgotten one crucial detail, the gift she was gonna by was for Sangue! How was she gonna buy it without Sangue seeing it? She didn’t have much time to figure it out, as they had already arrived at the store!
It wasn’t a particularly big store, it was in fact rather modest in size. But it was filled with all sorts of clothing, from all parts of the world. They had just about every style and types of outfits you could think of.
Emerald knew what she was going to purchase, but Sangue was right there, watching. She just had to distract her somehow…long enough to buy what she needed. Emerald quickly thought up a plan, and she grinned.
There was a sudden gust of wind, and suddenly clothing started flying around the store, blowing all over the place. This caused the store keeper to panic for a moment as she scrambled to grab the flying items. Sangue herself was transfixed by the whole thing, watching with awe. The wind suddenly died down and the chaos ceased. The disturbed store keeper began to put away the displaced items, grumbling slightly. Sangue turned to ask what Emerald thought had just happened when she noticed to her alarm that the catgirl was nowhere to be found.
“E…Emerald?” Sangue looked around frantically, she looked under tables, under chairs, behind clothing, inside the vent, the ceiling, and everywhere else she could think of, but no Emerald. Had Emerald been taken away by that sudden wind? Something about that didn’t quite make sense to Sangue, but she didn’t have any other ideas.
Sangue had combed the entire store from one end to the other before she heard the shopkeeper talking to someone, as Sangue came back to the front of the store there was Emerald, with a shopping bag in her hand. Emerald noticed Sangue as she approached, looking rather sheepish and…guilty?
“Emerald…” She began slowly. “…where did you….”
“Well you see…I um…I had to…go to the bathroom really bad!” Emerald stuttered a bit as she made up her lousy excuse. “But I found the gift I was looking for!” Emerald quickly added, in order to change the subject.
“Oh…that’s good…” Sangue said with a nod, accepting Emerald’s explanation without a second thought, she learned towards the shopping bag in Emerald’s hand, she was curious as to what it was.
Emerald pulled it away however, not letting Sangue get a glimpse of what was inside. “You can’t see what it is yet! B-Because it’s um…um…a surprise!” She knew Sangue wasn’t a suspicious person in any sense of the word, but she was still worried Sangue would figure it out.
Sangue was disappointed, but she nodded in understanding. She had found out from her friends that friends like to surprise their friends, and that’s why they kept the gifts secret. Plus it was only one more day till they would be opened, after all.
-------------
It was in fact the day after, Christmas Day itself, that Sangue would find out exactly what it was. Sangue had been successful in her mission in getting Emerald home alive, and Emerald had gotten the rest she needed...maybe. Christmas day everyone had gathered to exchange gifts and enjoy each other’s company as one does on Christmas.
It was at this time that Emerald approached Sangue, carrying a small package. “Merry Christmas Sangue! You can finally find out what I bought the other day!” She giggled as she handed Sangue the small, wrapped box.
Sangue thanked Emerald before she began to open it, she found not knowing what she was getting until she opened it seemed to be half the fun, her eyes widened slightly as she pulled out…a bright red Santa hat!
“Do you like it?” Emerald asked. Sangue nodded with a smile, putting on said hat on top of her head. “It’s…very nice…thank you…Emerald…oh!” Sangue exclaimed suddenly as she remembered she had a gift as well! She handed a wrapped up box for the cat Faunus as well. Emerald took it eagerly.
“Oh wow you got me something too!” Emerald seemed to practically tear the box to pieces as she opened her gift revealing…a green Santa hat!?
“Oh cool!” Emerald put the hat on her head, “We match now! Thank you Sangue!” She gave Sangue a surprise hug, “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas.” Sangue replied, giving a small, warm smile in return. After that they exchanged more gifts with the rest of their friends, and enjoyed everyone’s company. Emerald vowed to never again fall asleep on a park bench, and drank too much egg nog. Sangue reflected on everything that had happened, and was already thinking about what gifts she’d give her friends the next Christmas…and also ate a lot of food.
She turned to see who was to blame for waking her open, and it was none other than…Sangue!?
“Hello…Emerald…” The red head said slowly, as she usually did. Emerald didn’t mind how Sangue talked but for someone as hyperactive as the cat faunus it could feel like an eternity. “…I found you here…had to make sure you weren’t…” She paused, searching for the right words most likely.
“…dead?” Emerald finished for her. “Well no I’m not dead…obviously hehe…” Emerald stuck her tongue out for a moment.
“What were you…doing out in the cold?” Sangue asked, looking concerned.
“Well I was Christmas shopping, and was getting tired and decided to sit on this nice bench here and I guess I must of fallen asleep!” She bonked herself on the head before checking the time. “Oh wow! I’ve been sleeping here for hours! No wonder my nose is cold!”
Sangue eyes widened just a little as she sat down next to Emerald and proceeded to start rubbing her nose with a gloved hand, surprising the catgirl.
“Um…um Sangue…you don’t have to do that….I-I’m…I’m fin-ACHOO!” Emerald let out a sudden and loud sneeze, making Sangue seem even more concerned than before.
“You’ve…caught a…cold.” Sangue said as she took off a glove to feel Emerald’s forehead.
Emerald meanwhile was getting red in the face. “N-No…I feel…ACHOO! I feel fine I just…ACHOO!” Emerald stopped talking for a moment, she was losing an argument without the other person even saying anything. “Okay fine…maybe I’m a little sick…ACHOO!”
“You should…go home and get some…rest…” Sangue said in a voice that was almost stern, if anyone could imagine Sangue being stern in any situation.
“No I can’t! I still have to buy a present for someone!” Emerald said, fidgeting before sneezing again. “Just one more present to buy and then I’ll go rest I promise!”
Sangue was quite for a moment, at least more quiet than usual. She looked like she was thinking really hard, debating on what to do about this. Finally, her eyes lit up. “Okay…I’ll go with you…to get your gift.” Sangue decided that it would be fine if she was there to make sure nothing happened to Emerald, it was only one gift, then Emerald could get the rest she needed.
Even Sangue treats me like a kid! It’s cause I’m the shortest isn’t it!? Emerald complained mentally, but she put a smile on her face for Sangue, she didn’t mind the company anyway. “Okay! It’s not too far, actually I can see it, right over that way!” Emerald pointed wildly at a nearby clothing store, but was interrupted by another sneezing fit. This caused Sangue to scramble for a tissue paper to give to the cat faunus.
“Let’s goooo!” Emerald started running off, with Sangue scrambling to follow the energetic girl. They were making good headway when Emerald stopped abruptly, causing Sangue to almost crash into the other girl. Emerald was standing right in front of a noodle shop, they could both smell the deliciousness.
“Hey Sangue…you wanna stop here for some….” To Emerald’s surprise Sangue was already walking inside the restaurant, she quickly followed her in.
About five minutes later they exited the shop with cups of noodle soup in their hands. They slowly walked down the street, feeling fuller and warmer than before. Emerald didn’t seem to be sneezing quite as much but she still had the sniffles, Sangue noted. She just had to make sure Emerald survived buying her gift and everything would be fine.
Emerald meanwhile was having her own dilemma. When she had agreed to let Sangue come along she had forgotten one crucial detail, the gift she was gonna by was for Sangue! How was she gonna buy it without Sangue seeing it? She didn’t have much time to figure it out, as they had already arrived at the store!
It wasn’t a particularly big store, it was in fact rather modest in size. But it was filled with all sorts of clothing, from all parts of the world. They had just about every style and types of outfits you could think of.
Emerald knew what she was going to purchase, but Sangue was right there, watching. She just had to distract her somehow…long enough to buy what she needed. Emerald quickly thought up a plan, and she grinned.
There was a sudden gust of wind, and suddenly clothing started flying around the store, blowing all over the place. This caused the store keeper to panic for a moment as she scrambled to grab the flying items. Sangue herself was transfixed by the whole thing, watching with awe. The wind suddenly died down and the chaos ceased. The disturbed store keeper began to put away the displaced items, grumbling slightly. Sangue turned to ask what Emerald thought had just happened when she noticed to her alarm that the catgirl was nowhere to be found.
“E…Emerald?” Sangue looked around frantically, she looked under tables, under chairs, behind clothing, inside the vent, the ceiling, and everywhere else she could think of, but no Emerald. Had Emerald been taken away by that sudden wind? Something about that didn’t quite make sense to Sangue, but she didn’t have any other ideas.
Sangue had combed the entire store from one end to the other before she heard the shopkeeper talking to someone, as Sangue came back to the front of the store there was Emerald, with a shopping bag in her hand. Emerald noticed Sangue as she approached, looking rather sheepish and…guilty?
“Emerald…” She began slowly. “…where did you….”
“Well you see…I um…I had to…go to the bathroom really bad!” Emerald stuttered a bit as she made up her lousy excuse. “But I found the gift I was looking for!” Emerald quickly added, in order to change the subject.
“Oh…that’s good…” Sangue said with a nod, accepting Emerald’s explanation without a second thought, she learned towards the shopping bag in Emerald’s hand, she was curious as to what it was.
Emerald pulled it away however, not letting Sangue get a glimpse of what was inside. “You can’t see what it is yet! B-Because it’s um…um…a surprise!” She knew Sangue wasn’t a suspicious person in any sense of the word, but she was still worried Sangue would figure it out.
Sangue was disappointed, but she nodded in understanding. She had found out from her friends that friends like to surprise their friends, and that’s why they kept the gifts secret. Plus it was only one more day till they would be opened, after all.
-------------
It was in fact the day after, Christmas Day itself, that Sangue would find out exactly what it was. Sangue had been successful in her mission in getting Emerald home alive, and Emerald had gotten the rest she needed...maybe. Christmas day everyone had gathered to exchange gifts and enjoy each other’s company as one does on Christmas.
It was at this time that Emerald approached Sangue, carrying a small package. “Merry Christmas Sangue! You can finally find out what I bought the other day!” She giggled as she handed Sangue the small, wrapped box.
Sangue thanked Emerald before she began to open it, she found not knowing what she was getting until she opened it seemed to be half the fun, her eyes widened slightly as she pulled out…a bright red Santa hat!
“Do you like it?” Emerald asked. Sangue nodded with a smile, putting on said hat on top of her head. “It’s…very nice…thank you…Emerald…oh!” Sangue exclaimed suddenly as she remembered she had a gift as well! She handed a wrapped up box for the cat Faunus as well. Emerald took it eagerly.
“Oh wow you got me something too!” Emerald seemed to practically tear the box to pieces as she opened her gift revealing…a green Santa hat!?
“Oh cool!” Emerald put the hat on her head, “We match now! Thank you Sangue!” She gave Sangue a surprise hug, “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas.” Sangue replied, giving a small, warm smile in return. After that they exchanged more gifts with the rest of their friends, and enjoyed everyone’s company. Emerald vowed to never again fall asleep on a park bench, and drank too much egg nog. Sangue reflected on everything that had happened, and was already thinking about what gifts she’d give her friends the next Christmas…and also ate a lot of food.
Mistletoe
By: NarayanK
To: @Plank Sinatra@Kaithas@Krayzikk
“What’s… a mistletoe?”
The swordswoman known as Sangue Naga stared at the pale skies as the snow fell like feathers behind the window. Whatever she had been thinking about faded as she watched the world above, observing the sign of a season different from summer, spring, and fall.
“A mistletoe?”
“Y…es…”
“Y…es…”
If there were things she had to owe to others, she’d have too many. Life gave her miracles one would normally never encounter so often. Whether it was a gift of pity from fate or pure luck, she did not know, but it let her find more meaning in herself.
There were things to live for. Food brought delight to her sensitive tongue, exercise brought adrenaline to her veins, and meditation let her reflect upon anything valuable she learned for the day.
There were also people to live for. People who made her more valuable than she would have been had she survived on her own.
Not that she would survive for long on her own.
“Mistletoes are actually annoying,” the bartender told her on snowy night five years younger than the present. “I dunno about what Apep would say, but what I’m saying is pretty much what he’d say without insults. They’re like… parasites, I guess. They latch onto other plants like there’s no tomorrow but give animals an easier source of food. Can’t really say they’re pests in that way.”
In a sense, she was a bit of a mistletoe. Her team could always use someone intelligible to contribute to their overall effectiveness. She latched onto them without really bringing useful benefits to them. Such analogies made her continue to change, little by little.
So every day, she tried changing. That was the most she could do without risking too much.
“There’s an old myth related to the mistletoe, though! So I guess that part of the thing is pretty cool.”
“…My…th?”
“Yeah, a myth. Several, actually, but most people see it as an excuse to kiss others.”
“…”
“…My…th?”
“Yeah, a myth. Several, actually, but most people see it as an excuse to kiss others.”
“…”
She wore a jacket Lauren got for her. With a small handful of mistletoe leaves remaining snuggled in her pocket, she looked back at her closest friends, all three of them sleeping on. Being a part of their frantically active lifestyles made their sleeping forms a common sight to wake up to.
Her eyes trailed over to a few couples walking with their arms linked together outside the academy before looking back at the skies.
“Do… people like… it?”
“Like what?”
Sangue blinked as she quietly spoke,
“Kiss.”
“…Yeah,” the bartender grinned. “They love those. Just don’t go around kissing anybody down the streets now, ya hear? It’s something better off genuine than superficial.”
“Like what?”
Sangue blinked as she quietly spoke,
“Kiss.”
“…Yeah,” the bartender grinned. “They love those. Just don’t go around kissing anybody down the streets now, ya hear? It’s something better off genuine than superficial.”
She silently left her bed.
With a mistletoe in hand, she walked over to Lauren and Amy. Lauren had invaded Amy’s bunk during the middle of the night, letting her body overlap the Faunus who practically buried herself under her blankets. It was easy to presume that Amy decided to shut herself out from the energetic Negasi… and judging by how the two snored without conflict, things had gone somewhat accordingly.
Sangue let a small smile form, betraying her once idle expression. With the mistletoe in hand, she gave a peck to both of their cheeks.
She had seen it in a lot of movies before, so she presumed that was the correct way to give a kiss.
Walking over to Ben, who held onto his blankets for dear warmth in his sleep, Sangue glanced at the two girls she treasured as her family. Unbeknownst to her, however, one of the Christmas socks she received from someone sat in her path.
It happened too quickly for her to gasp. Without a word, she slipped and fell forward.
Her hands barely caught the mattress as she shut her eyes. When everything became still again, she slowly opened her eyes.
Thankfully, she had managed to stop herself an inch away from his face. As her eyes locked their gaze to her team leader’s face, she blinked, her expression softening.
“Just avoid the lips of someone you like, though. Unless you want to sell your soul to them or something.”
“W…hy?”
The bartender chuckled as he wiped a glass.
“Most people never want to share the lips of someone they love, y’see. Don’t know about you, but I sure as heck would be salty if a woman I love smashed her lips against some fellow I’d hate to hate.”
“W…hy?”
The bartender chuckled as he wiped a glass.
“Most people never want to share the lips of someone they love, y’see. Don’t know about you, but I sure as heck would be salty if a woman I love smashed her lips against some fellow I’d hate to hate.”
There were many presents Sangue treasured. From the gifts she received from others at Beacon, to the experiences she was able to feel firsthand thanks to others. But truthfully, the most valuable presents she had received were those who gave her such gifts themselves.
BASL was perhaps the gift that brought her the most hope in her rather small life.
After staring at her leader for a few minutes, she blinked when she remembered that she had a gift to give to him. The gift she gave them was a far cry from what they would give her, but she hoped that one day, she would become someone who wasn’t just “a quiet person” to them.
She simply wished for them to remember her. And for her to wish that much, she knew she would have to grow accordingly to not bring them down as a team.
A faint blush entered her cheeks as she leaned over to Ben. Under the mistletoe and the pale, snowy skies, a young snake wished for its friends to live happily. But truthfully, it was a rather selfish wish.
She hoped that its selfish factor did not overshadow their genuine value to her.
As dawn passed, the snake slithered back to her bed, knowing that another normal day would start soon. Another day as a member of BASL, a team she hoped to never leave.
